The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-05-23
HOW THEY LOST A PASTOR.

The first Church OF Brandon were
seeking n pastor, an occupation that
had engrossed their energies Tor some
time past. For it was fully seven
months since the council had assem-
bled to formally dismiss Mr.. Barnes,
and had declared the pulpit vacant.
Mr.. Barnes had labored faithfully
in their service five long years. Dur
ms all this time he had preached good,
ii not brilliant, sermons; attended
regularly at the prayer-meeting, and
made all the pastoral calls that one
mortal man without q horse and
buggy, could reasonably be ex-
pected to make. And yet his
congregation were not satisfied. In
timations finally reached the ears Of
the good man that his resignation
would be resignedly accepted. He
sent it in, and the papers the next day
announced the grief OF the First Church
at the resignation OF their beloved
pastor Mr.. Barnes, whose wife's
health forced him to seek a more sa-
lubrious climate.
Whereupon it devolved upon the
orphaned congregation to choose for
themselves q pastoral man after
their own hearts; one who should pos
sess all the virtues OF their late pastor,
as well as those which he lacked.
They proceeded to search for him in
the truly orthodox way; namely, by
entertaining candidates. Sabbath
after Sabbath beheld different di-
vine in the pulpit. They came, we
know not whence, and returned we
know not whittier. They embraced
every known type OF man, from the
venerable d. d. OF three score and ten,
to the immature theological student OF
81 Summers.
The doctrine preached to that peo-
pie during the season of candidating
was as variegated as the patchwork
quilt which they presented to
their late pator's wife on her
birthday. 1t shaded all the way
from Catholicism to Universalism,
and branched out into every known
''ism." There was the "old SCHOOL,
and the "new school," old-fashioned
orthodoxy and modern free thought.
There were sermons with strong lean
ings toward liberalism, and there were
Others iraught with Calvinism, and
oozing orthodoxy at every pore. And
there were scientific sermons without
end, and poetical and philosophical
ones. But in all this variety the peo-
pie found not the man they sought.
There was some insurmountable OBJ
lection to every candidate.
Rev. Abercrombie gave them good
sermons, but the college students de-
clared that his gestures were "execra.
ble," and would demoralize their own
"style;" and they came en- masse to
the church meeting and voted him
down.
Rev. ]. Irwin Smith was youthful
and handsome, and the young ladies
shed tears OF regret when the church
decided not to call him. But Deacon
Grimes said his sermons were mere
''froth," and he hoped they wouldn't,
in his day, get down to a man who
parted his hair in the middle.
Rev. Loring was too dramatic, and
threatened to convert the staid old
church into q theater while good Mr..
Blakesley, who despised show, was re-
iected because he didn't "draw." One
candidate was too solemn, another
too frivolous; one was too reserved,
another too common"
And so the spring and summer
came, and faded away, and fall was
fast emerging into winter; and
the people were growing weary
OF their search, and longed |
for a settled pastor, but he still elud-
ed them. As old Mr.. Grove aptly
summed up the situation: "We've
had close to hundred men here to
preach for us, and we've given 'em all
q fair show, and there hain't been q
perfect man among en-"
At length, when expectation was
well nigh exhausted, a cheering ray
penetrated the gloom oftheir despond. |
ency. and In their minds eye they could |
seeas their own established pastor |
thebrilliant young preacher who was |
holding audiences spell-bound in a |
Western city. A delegation was dis |
patched to treat with him. He had |
eraciously consented to consider the |
matter, and the whole situation was |
. a